Fallen soldier George Miok torn between teaching and returning to Afghanistan

Laura Drake, Canwest News Service12.31.2009

Sgt. George Miok, 28, based in Edmonton, died when his armoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device four kilometres south of Kandahar City. He was remembered as a “dedicated” officer that was well-liked by his troops.Handout
/ DND

Corporal Zachery McCormack, left, a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, 4th Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alberta, and Sergeant George Miok, right, a member of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, also based in Edmonton are seen in these undated photos released on DeceREUTERS/Department of National Defence/Handout
/ edmontonjournal.com

EDMONTON — Sgt. George Miok wasn’t sure he wanted to go back to Afghanistan a second time. The Edmonton-based reservist was also a teacher who had spent the 2008-2009 school year at St. Cecilia’s Junior High School in Edmonton and thought often about educating for a living.

“George was torn. He had two loves ... He was torn between going back to Afghanistan and wanting to become a teacher full time,” said David Moss, who was part of a team that hired Miok to teach religion, math, gym and health to the school’s Grade 7 students.

“George was a unique individual. He was very enthusiastic and outgoing, had a huge smile. He was very gregarious. He bonded well with the kids.”

“R.I.P Mr.George Miok, you meant alot to me and to alot of other children, you were the only math teacher who could teach me that kind of stuff even on my bad days,” one wrote.

A picture of Miok posing proudly with Class 7A is also posted on the memorial site.

Moss said Miok was a reservist who already had one Afghan tour under his belt when he started at the school. In a statement, Land Force Western Area Brig.-Gen. Michael P. Jorgensen said Miok had been in the armed forces since May 1998, went to Bosnia in 2002 and Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006. When he died, Miok was a combat engineer and a member of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment based at Edmonton’s Debney Armoury.

Miok considered becoming a teacher full time after that year-long contract, but positions were scarce, and the second Afghanistan tour was a sure thing. Moreover, Miok had been promoted to Sergeant and the tour that left Edmonton in September afforded him the opportunity to work directly with the Afghan National Army, Moss said.

He kept in touch with his former school, though, sending e-mails that were shared with the students on Remembrance Day. In that e-mail, he wrote of how kind the Afghan people were, save for some children who thought it was a fun game to throw rocks at the army vehicles.

“Thank you for all the great experiences last year, as they gave me a career to look forward to when I get back,” he wrote.

“I wish you all well and may you all have a year of the kids doing their homework and behaving themselves. (Not likely...but hey, at least they aren’t throwing rocks at you.)”

Moss said he last received an e-mail from Miok right before Christmas.

“All is well on this front, as we are making as much progress as we can. Working as an Infantry Section Commander with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team is a very dynamic and rewarding position. It’s not ideal to be spending Christmas here, but I’m surrounded by some of the best Canadians that a guy can serve with,” Miok wrote in the e-mail, which he ended by including a poem based on the Night Before Christmas about a soldier alone for the holidays.

Miok, who was not married and did not have children, was the kind of guy who liked to keep busy. In addition to his duties as a reservist, he also bartended at the Rose and Crown, a downtown Edmonton pub.

Dan Shaw, the pub’s general manager, said he wasn’t sure if he could break the news to his staff today.

“He was an unbelievable guy. I came out here last February. He was the first guy I met when I came out here,” Shaw said Thursday morning.

“I didn’t realize he was in the reserves in the first few weeks. I just thought he was incredibly well-regimented and polite.”

Shaw said the pub had a big going away party for Miok before he deployed in September. Most of the staff was surprised he decided to re-deploy, since Miok talked often of becoming a full-time teacher.

“It caught us all off-guard, but we had to respect his decision,” Shaw said.

“We were all worried about it at the time.”

Miok’s friends were also worried about his redeployment. Stephanie Kozma, a childhood friend of Miok’s, wrote to the Journal that she met with him for coffee before he left.

“I told him, ‘I don’t know how you do it, but I appreciate what you’re doing. I don’t think I’d be able to do what you’re doing. You’re so brave, but aren’t you scared?’

He replied ‘Steph, don’t worry. I’m in the safe part of Kandahar. There’s nothing to worry about, I’ll be back in April.’”

Kozma said she met Miok when they were both children, since their families were part of Edmonton’s Hungarian community. Kozma said she would always see Miok and his three brothers sitting at the front of the church.

As a teen, he was a member of the Csardas Hungarian dance group, where Kozma, his dance partner, said she developed a “huge crush” on him.

“He was the most amazing person. I had so many experiences with him, and he touched my heart in so many ways,” she wrote.

“He stood for something, and I looked up to him and appreciated all that he has done as a soldier, a teacher and a friend. He’s the kind of person you strive to be — great.”

When reached at home, Miok’s father said he wasn’t quite ready to talk about his son.

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Fallen soldier George Miok torn between teaching and returning to Afghanistan

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